‘You leave a hole that we will never be able to fill.’
Written on a yellow and blue flag. Maidan Square in Kyiv is covered with them. Each flag represents a soldier who made the ultimate sacrifice for Ukraine.
This week I went there for the third time in three years.
Each time there are more flags.
We, Europeans, can take responsibility to prevent more flags from appearing.
So what is the path to peace?
I participated in the Yalta European Strategy Conference in Kyiv and talked about that path to peace.
It seems as if Europe, the US, and Ukraine have started negotiating with themselves rather than with Russia. Already giving in, while Russia sticks to its position and keeps bombing civilians. Why should Ukraine limits its armed forces after a ceasefire instead of Russia? Why is NATO membership already off the table?
The only person who seems to believe there is a genuine intention from the Russian side to reach an agreement in the current peace negotiations and end the war is the chief US negotiator Steve Witkoff, a real-estate agent with no knowledge of Russia or Ukraine. In the meantime, there are 0 real signs that Putin wants peace.
So what can we do?
The 90 billion EU loan is a lifeline for Ukraine. If they don’t have it, Ukraine won’t be able to pay interest on its loans, pay soldiers, doctors, and teachers. We have to circumvent Orbán’s veto and get this support to Ukraine as quickly as possible.
But this only helps Ukraine to survive… and what we should be doing is enabling Ukraine to win.
The best way to achieve peace is to force Russia to the negotiation table in a real way.
This is possible if we do 10x more than we are doing now. Europe needs a unified position and strategy that leads to a lasting peace. How can we begin? Supply deep-strike missiles like Taurus and Tomahawks, protect Ukrainian skies with a European no-fly zone, and give the 300 billion frozen Russian assets. We also need to prepare for the day after any ceasefire to keep Ukraine safe as a future EU member.
It’s not just the right thing to do, it’s in our own security interests.
I’m moved by the Ukrainian determination and incredibly grateful that they are fighting for our freedom. We need to not only give Ukraine enough support to survive, but enough to win.
Not as long as it takes, but what it takes.